The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-10
THE FARMERS LOT.
1t Is Not a Happy One 1t Appears to the
Western Mind.

Des Moines fIa.) Leader.
Records of lunatic asylums show that the per-
centage of farmers and their wives who go insane
is greater than those engaged in any other bust
ness. Considerable effort ia made to account for
the fact. The Leader desires to offer sugges-
ton or two. which may may not be new to
the other students of the subject.
1. The farmers in this country. and in mos
civilized countries are generally business man
ayers and not mere wage-workers. They have
not only to work hard, but also to manage a GER
tain amount os capital This is true whether
they rent or own their farms. In most other oc-
cupations requiring management the manager
does little else but manage Hence he does not
have to worry about his business affairs when
he is already worn ont with hard work. His
worry speak of. They lay down their cares
when they lay down their TOOLS and the tools
are the heaviest. The farmer. on the other
hand. has to endure both work and worry. And
it takes good deal of worry to make farming
success. Ii it isn't success. why. that is enough
to worry anybody: for, small his capital may
between him and penury. The smaller it is the
keener the management required to make it sup
port him and his family
2 The farmers life is lonely The
prisoner in his cell is not more efectually barred
from human speech than is the farmer at his
pillow. Year after year he plows the same fields
and PAGES the same prison-yard, amid the same
scenes. There is no hum of machinery or rattle
OF streets to drown his thoughts. They keep
gnawlng away at his brain. wearing out the
precious tissue and wearing it in the same old
they can Ie felt engaged at work which cannot
begin to fully occupy his thoughts. he cannot
help but think and, OF course he can think only
of things that have come within the range of his
observation and reading. It is where these are
limited tina: the danger is greatest When not
at work the farmer has, as rule. quite lonely
time His rigid notions OF morality prevent his
relieving his mind by those amusements which
all classes of city people indulge in-often to
their own salvation. 1t is an old saying that ''al
work and play makes Jack dull boy" And
some of the most wholesome city amusements
are not possible in the country.
3. The diet of most farmers is not conducive
to good mental health. This is partly their
fault. All Iowa farmers might, without addi-
tioual expense, live better than town people do.
They could have greater variety of better and
fresher vegetables. and also, if they their
farms, of fruit. Fresh beef might be too expen-
sive for them, but If they had all the vegetable
food they could easily raise they would need but
little meat of any kind, and their fat pork would
not hurt them. This variety would help them
in two ways. 1t would make meal-time happier
and more of a relief from workadav dullness,
and it would make them physically and mental
ly healthier. But. of course, the farmers pow
erty shuts him off from some of the dietary
luxures Of town life Still most OF these lux
uries come from the farm. Think of the chick
ems and turkeys. and the hundred other dainties
which farmers raise only to SELL